Individual protective armor.



P. c. FLA NAGAN.

INDIVIDUAL PROTECTIVE ARMOR.-

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 19H- Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

%13 91 :5 aitozwu UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

PATRICK C. FLANAGAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INDIVIDUAL PROTECTIVE ARMOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

Application filed May 26, 1917. Serial No. 171,168.

reference being had to the accompanying drawin s.

This Invention relates to improvements in Individual protective armor designed to be worn by a soldier on the field of battle and to aflord him protection against missiles thrown by the enemy, such as bullets from small-arms and machine-guns, shrapnel bul-- lets, pieces of an exploded shell and the like. An object of this invention is to provide armor of the character hereinbefore mentioned which will be simple in construction and eflicient and convenient in use.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure l is a front elevation of the armor; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the armor shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan of the armor; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

The armor consists of two principal parts, namely, the head armor or helmet and the body armor. The body armor a comprises a one-piece plate I) of suitable metal (that is, metal that combines lightness with great resistance to penetration). From its vertical midline,each side of this plate I) is bent back (or rearwardly inclined) through an angle of about thirty degrees (Fig. 4:) so that a bullet coming directly from the front will be likely to glance ofi' the plate I). At the top of each of its sides, the plate I) is formed with a laterally-projecting shoulderpiece 0 that fits over the soldiers shoulder and protects the same. Each shoulderpiece a is formed, in its lower front edge (Fig. 1) with a recess 0 adapted to permit the soldier to raise his arms (6. 9., in aiming his piece, throwing bombs and the like). On the inside of the plate 6 and near the top thereof (Fig. 3), each side of the plate is provided with a loop (Z that is brazed or welded to the plate I) and is adapted to receive the end 03' of the curved upper part of an upright crook-shaped supporter e, which is thus hingedly attached to the bodyplate b. Each supporter e is provided with a series of eyes 6 arranged one above the other. Each side of the plate I) is also provided with a vertically-extending series of eyes or loops d, d secured to the inside of the plate 6, as by brazing or welding. In each of the eyes 03, there is fastened one end of a body-strap f that is passed horizontally through a pair of the eyes 6 carried by'the upright parts of the supporters 'e and the other end of which is formed with holes adapted to receive the tongue 9 of a buckle 9 carried by one end of a strap 9 the other end of which is fastened to one of the eyes or loops 0?". By pulling the straps f taut, the body-plate b may be fastened to the body it of the soldier and then secured by the buckles 9. To provide a cushion between the body-plate b and the body it of the soldier, whereby theshock of impact of the missiles that strike against the body-plate b may be absorbed, there is secured to each side of the plate 6 on the inside thereof a vertically-arranged series of looped or bow-shaped leaf-springs i an end of each of which is formed with a slot 2'' so that the springs 11 may yield or give markedly in case of necessity, the shank of a fastening stud 71 passing through 'theslot i. The loop or swell portions of the springs 71 of each series (or side of the plate 6) are adapted to bear against the body it of the wearer (Fig. 5) and are connected by means of a stiffener or upright 7', which serves to cause the springs 71 of the series to act 1n unison.

The head-covering or helmet is is domeshaped and is formed with a circularly-arranged horizontal series of narrow SlltSJO' through which the soldier sees. This hel-- met k is revolubly mounted in the following manner (Fig. 3) To the upper part of the body-plate b, there is fastened, as by rlveting, an annular band m that is L-shaped in vertical section and is formed with a horizontally-disposed inwardly-projecting annular flange m that serves as a; runway for the steel balls n. Near its lower edge, the helmet k is formed'with an outwardly-extending annular flange or rib 76" that rests on to 3, the slits k are inclined somewhat to the vertical, whereby danger of penetration of the helmet is by a bullet is lessened somewhat. Since the helmet is is revolubly mounted, it will tend to spin around on the balls at, when struck by a bullet and the latter will tend to glance oi the helmet and danger of penetration by the bulletis thus reduced. When the body-plate b is fastened in place, it will be found that the soldiers arms, when hanging by his sides, will be protected by the sides of the plate 1), since enough room or space will be left for the soldiers arms within the body-plate b, when the straps f have been drawn taut.

I claim:

1. A military protective armor including a body-plate and a helmet revolubly mounted thereon and free from screw connection therewith.

2. An individual military protective armor including a V-shaped body-plate; and a vertically-arranged series of horizontallydisposed bow-shaped leaf-springs mounted on the inside of each side of said body-plate and spaced from one another, the swell part of each of said springs being adapted to bear against the body of the wearer to produce a cushioning effect.

3. -An individual military protective armor including a body-plate; and a vertically-arranged series of horizontally-disposed bow-shaped leaf-springs mounted on the inside of said body-plate, the swell part of each of said springs being'adapted to bear against thebody of the wearer and one end plate;

of each of said springs being loosely attached to the body-plate to produce a cushioning effect.

4:. 11 individual military protective .armor including a body-plate; a verticallyarranged series of horizontally disposed bow-shaped leaf-springs mounted on the inside of said body-plate, the swell part of each spring being adapted to bear against the body of the wearer; and an upright stifiener fastened to the swell parts of said springs to produce combined action of the same. Y

5. An individual military protective armor including a bodyplate; upright crook-shaped supporters for supporting said body-plate upon the shoulders of the wearer, said supporters being fastened at their upper end to the inside face of the bodyand horizontally-disposed bodystraps carried by said supporters for fastening the body-plate to the body of the wearer.

6. An individual military 1 protective armor including a body-plate; and a helmet revolubly mounted thereon said helmet being formed with a series of narrow slits arran ed on a substantially horizontal are.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, city, county and State of New York, in the presence of the two undersigned Witnesses, this twenty-third day of May, A. D. 1917.

PATRICK o. FLANAGAN.

Witnesses: I

GEORGE E. BRowN, JAMES HAMILTON. 

